Barelang City Police Commit to Strict Action Against Hate Speech on Social Media

The Batam-Rempang-Galang City Police (Polresta Barelang) in the Riau Islands have emphasised their commitment to taking action against all forms of hate speech, provocation, and content involving ethnic, religious, racial, and inter-group (SARA) sensitivities spread via social media.

Head of Polresta Barelang, Kombes Pol Anggoro Wicaksono, made this statement during the disclosure of a suspected hate speech case targeting the Malay ethnic group. “We repeatedly urge the public to be wise when using social media. Every comment or post shared on social media must not cause unrest, division, hate speech, or be provocative,” Anggoro stated in Batam on Tuesday.

He emphasised that actions containing elements of insult or hatred towards specific groups are not merely matters of social ethics but can lead to criminal prosecution. “Whoever it may be, if they engage in hate speech, we will take action in accordance with the applicable legal process,” he added.

During the same event, the Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of Polresta Barelang arrested a man, identified by the initials RS, who is suspected of spreading hate speech against the Malay tribe through Facebook.

Polresta Barelang Criminal Investigation Unit Head, Kompol M. Debby Tri Andrestian, explained that the case began on Saturday night when a resident spotted a screenshot of comments from RS’s Facebook account. In these comments, the perpetrator allegedly wrote sentences deemed insulting and offensive to the Malay community. Following a report, the police conducted an investigation and successfully identified the account owner. RS was subsequently apprehended at a boarding house in the Muka Kunting area, Batu Aji District. “The comments were deemed offensive to the feelings of the Malay community in Batam City,” said Debby.

For his actions, RS faces charges under Article 242 of Law Number 1 of 2023 regarding the Criminal Code, related to the dissemination of hatred or hostility against social groups, which carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. Anggoro added that the disclosure of this case is a serious matter as SARA issues have the potential to disrupt public security and order. “This case has drawn significant public attention and caused unrest among the community. After the report was filed, the perpetrator was apprehended by the Polresta Barelang Criminal Investigation Unit in less than 24 hours,” he concluded.